Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Big Brother Africa Season 8 (The Chase): Meet the 28 Housemates for 2013

Big Brother Season 8, tagged “The Chase” is on! The official opening
ceremony started with the performance of the jam of all jams Khona performed by Mafikizolo. Nigerian online personality and the host of the show, IK Osakioduwa came in on a power bike. He was fully kitted in leather and the crowd cheered thunderously. Comedians, Tumie Morake from South Africa and ChurchHill
from Kenya were invited on stage to go into both houses to give us a
sneak peek! We got a chance to see the houses before the housemates got
in. Tumie helped herself to the shower and got to popping champagne
while in the tub. Tumie went into the Diamond house and Churchill gave
us the first insight into the Ruby house. The first Big Brother Africa
was in 2003 and 10 years later, Big Brother Africa still has the power
to hold Africa spellbound.

As soon as the housemates were settled
in the house, IK reminded them to start getting to know one another
immediately because the first set of evictions is next Sunday. We can’t
wait for the game to begin.

We will bring you all the interesting scoop on the housemates and their time in the house as the show goes on.

Pokello – Zimbabwe

Pokello – Zimbabwe

Harare-born Pokello has a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Media and Communications and owns a luxury shoe boutique.
She enjoys pasta, spaghetti bolognaise and prawn cocktail.

She describes herself as “dynamic,
captivating, intelligent, beautiful & hilarious” and says that the
best thing about her is that she’s head-strong and a woman of real
substance. “When I speak, I speak with depth and confidence,” she says.
She admires people who are selfless and filled with humility and
modesty, disliking disloyalty and betrayal.

Asked what viewers can expect from her,
she says: “I am beautiful, intelligent, controlling and entertaining. I
am funny and witty and I say the most humorous things.

Pokello says if she wins the USD 300
000, she’ll buy a big house for her son and herself, send him to a
full-time soccer academy in London and invest in her business.

LK4 – Uganda

LK4 – Uganda

Towering over the rest of the housemates
at 6 feet 5 inches, professional basketball player LK4, is from
Kampala. Outside of his achievements on the basketball court, LK4 also
has a CPA and a Degree in Marketing.

LK4 was inspired to enter Big Brother by
his teammates and friends and says he is excited to have Africa
watching him. He says that viewers can expect him to make all the ladies
fall in love with him, make viewers laugh. If he wins the grand prize,
he’ll start building his basketball academy.

He describes himself as “compassionate,
sexy, conscious, comical and athletic” and his favourite personal
quality is his confidence, saying that he’s “the direct reflection of
God’s creation”. He likes people who are loyal, humble, confident,
honest and intelligent, but dislikes “disloyal, jealous, envious
individuals”. His proudest achievements so far are winning the national
championship with his team in 2010 and representing his country in
Olympic Qualifiers.

Selly – Ghana (In a relationship)

Selly – Ghana

Selly is an actress from Tema in
Accra. She entered Big Brother because of “the mouth-watering prize
package” that she says would change her life, and also because she wants
more drama in her life to “spice it up more”.She enjoys watching
Fashion Police, SpongeBob Squarepants and Keeping Up With The
Kardashians. Selly says her boyfriend has influenced her life because he
is extremely optimistic about life and has taught her to believe in
herself.Describing herself as “spontaneous, kind, sensitive, no-nonsense
and adventurous”, Selly dislikes back-biting, fake people and
sycophants. She says viewers can expect dancing, cooking and
entertainment from her. If she wins the grand prize, she’ll further her
education, buy her mom a car, throw a huge party, start her dream
business, renovate her mother’s house and buy herself a car.

Bassey – SierraLeone

Bassey – Sierra Leone

Student, actor and model Bassey is from
Freetown, and is single. His favourite foods include rice, cassava
leaves and pasta with tomato sauce. His favourite musicians are Rihanna,
Beyonce, LMFAO and Justin Bieber.

Bassey’s role model is Michael Jackson,
“because of the way he handled his career”. His two proudest
achievements are graduating from University – and becoming the first of
his siblings to do so – and also being nominated in the Youth Excellence
Awards.

He entered Big Brother for the fame and
money, believing that “Biggie changes lives”. He says it’ll be “weird”
having so many people watching his every move on TV. If he wins, he’ll
buy a house for his family, his dream car, invest in business and
produce a movie.

Dellish – Namibia

Dellish – Namibia

Windhoek-born Dellish is a third year
Psychology student with a passion for seafood. She describes herself as
“caring, fun, troublesome, loving and adventurous”. Dellish says her
best quality is the fact that she’s “very real and straightforward”. She
values caring and considerate people and dislikes those who are selfish
and lazy.

She entered Big Brother because she’s
been a fan of the show for some time and promised herself that she would
enter as soon as she was old enough. Dillish says it’s a bit scary to
know that Africa will be watching her 24/7, but says she’s excited to
share her private life and lifestyle with the continent.

Dellish says the best thing about Africa
is the diverse cultures and “our unity”. Her favourite place in Namibia
is Swakopmund and says even though she hasn’t travelled much, a trip to
Nigeria last year was “the best ever”. Her grandfather is her role
model. “He raised my mom and five of his grandchildren – including
myself. He is my hero,” she says.

Angelo – South Africa (Said he can never be faithful to one woman)

Angelo – South Africa

Dance teacher Angelo Collins entered Big
Brother because he realised that life is too short and “one shouldn’t
limit the things you want to do”. If he wins the grand prize, he will
start a small business, help an orphanage and help his mom and family
with a better life.

Angelo describes himself as “tall, dark,
adventurous and handsome” and attributes his confidence to being
relaxed and comfortable in his own skin. He dislikes arrogant,
self-centred and rude people, preferring people who are confident and
know what they want in life. Viewers can expect “a lot of craziness”
from him, believing he has a funny personality and will make people
laugh.

The best thing about Africa? The people,
sunsets, mountains and how different, yet how similar cultural values
are. Outside of his home country, he says he loves Mozambique, where he
visited some amazing islands.

Fatima – Malawi

Fatima – Malawi

TV presenter and MC Fatima is from
Lilongwe. She enjoys seafood and her favourite book is Dan Brown’s The
Da Vinci Code and her favourite TV shows are Game of Thrones and Sex in
the City.

Fatima lists her father as her role
model because he is her source of inspiration and the most honest,
straightforward person she knows. The achievement she’s most proud of is
giving birth to her daughter. “There is absolutely no feeling in the
world that can top bringing another human into the world,” she says.

She describes herself as “unique,
daring, nurturing, fun and loud” and says she makes friends very easily.
Fatima is looking forward to the exposure offered by Big Brother and
believes that appearing on the show will be an important stepping stone
in her TV presenting career.

Nando – Tanzania

Nando – Tanzania

Student Nando says he has never watched
Big Brother before and says it feels “normal” that the continent will be
watching him 24/7. His friends encouraged him to enter and he says that
if he wins the grand prize, he’ll “build an empire”.

Aside from the cash, Nando says he wouldn’t mind picking up a few endorsements on the back of his appearance on the show.

Describing himself as “young, ambitious,
fun and loving”, Nando says he’s never thought about his best quality,
but likes people with good personalities. His favourite place in
Tanzania is Arusha, and globally, Brazil, because he loves football. He
eats everything, likes good music and his favourite TV show is 1000 Ways
To Die. His favourite actors are Scarlett Johansson and Martin
Lawrence.

Huddah – Kenya

Huddah – Kenya

Huddah is a model with a Diploma in Programming. She loves Chinese food, ugali and fish.

Huddah’s favourite place in Kenya is
Mombasa, and she says the best thing about Africa is the diversified
cultures and natural resources. Her favourite place outside Kenya is
Miami, because it’s a beautiful place and she loves tropical weather.

Her role model is Marilyn Monroe,
because “she was intelligent, a go-getter, a sexy woman with a charming
smile and also very popular”. Huddah entered Big Brother because she
believes it’s a once in a lifetime experience and she felt she really
needed to be part of it. “Plus it has brought a lot of opportunities in
life for a lot of people,” she says.

She says having Africa’s eyes on her
24/7 will make her feel like a star, because she loves the attention.
She says that if she wins the USD 300 000, she’ll double the money,
expand her brand and build a business empire.

Bimp – Ethiopia

Bimp – Ethopia

Bimp is from Addis Ababa sees himself as
“honest, loyal, dependable and responsible” and says his family are
excited to see him on TV. If he wins the big prize, he’d like to open a
club or bar in Addis Ababa and triple the money! He’d love to travel and
start a TV series about his adventures. Bimp is looking forward to
gaining and sharing experiences on Big Brother.

He says the best thing about Africa is the people, who he describes as “friendly, fun, welcoming and loving”.

He hopes that Africa learns something
from watching him 24/7. He wants to represent his country and continent
well and do them proud.

Motamma – Botswana (Miss World tourism)

Motamma – Botswana

Scientific researcher and student
Motamma has a BSc in Agriculture and is currently studying further. She
says it feels ‘great’ that Africa’s eyes will be on her 24/7. She hasn’t
watched previous Seasons of Big Brother, but her friends and colleagues
have always kept her up to date.

Her favourite foods include pasta dishes
and sorghum cooked in milk. Her favourite books are Secret of
Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin and Letters to My Children by
Jonathan Jansen.

Motamma says her favourite place in
Botswana is Maun. The best thing about Africa? The fact that it’s rich
in resources! Her favourite place outside Botswana is Mauritius, because
it appears peaceful and suitable for a romantic getaway.

Neyll- Angola

Neyll – Angola

Neyll describes himself as “fun,
entertaining, unforgettable, intense and unique”. He has a daughter and
is single. His favourite actor is Tom Cruise, because he identifies with
him. No surprise then, that one of his favourite movies is Mission
Impossible!

His favourite place in Angola is Mussulo
Island because it’s a nice place to have fun and be with family and
friends. Neyll says the best thing about Africa is its strong culture
that can’t be compared to any other. His role model is his father
because he was the person who inspired him and taught him to be a man.

Neyll entered Big Brother because “I
know how to play the game”. He says viewers can expect surprises from
him and will get the chance to see the real Neyll. If he wins the big
prize, he’ll give some money to charity and help his family.

Beverly – Nigeria

Beverly – Nigeria

Beverly is a model from Lagos. She
describes herself as “smart, sexy, humble, loyal and crazy”. One of her
favourite qualities is her sense of humour. In other people, she values
“consistency, cleanliness, truth and humility” and dislikes unkept
promises, lies and pretence.

Beverley says that viewers can expect “a
total packaged African young diva to command the right qualities and
characteristics of a blunt, sexy go-getter”. She doesn’t really have any
role models, choosing rather to take unique attributes from different
people. Asked who has influenced her life most, Beverley says “who I
want to influence me all depends on the situation at hand”.

Her favourite musicians include John Legend, Kelly Rowland, Phenom and Rihanna.

Sulu – Zambia

Sulu – Zambia

Businessman Sulu is single and comes
from Lusaka. He describes himself as “a guy that loves people” and says
his best traits are his character and his enjoyment of the company of
others. He values wisdom and intelligence in others, but dislikes
negativity, gossip and evil.

He entered Big Brother because “there is
a lot to learn about ourselves” and promises viewers lots of fun and
life-changing lessons. If he wins, he’ll help young people realise their
potential and invest in real estate. Sulu is humbled about the fact
that so many people will be watching him on the show, but says that it’s
“great” at the same time.

He says the best thing about Africa is
its potential for development and says his favourite place in Zambia is
Livingstone. Outside of his home country, he says America is his
favourite place, because it’s “too much fun”.

Cleo – Zambia

Cleo – Zambia

Cleo is an artist and musician from
Lusaka. Single with a daughter, she is currently looking to further her
studies. She entered Big Brother because it’s something she’s always
seen herself doing. “I have been trying to enter Big Brother since I was
21,” she says. “It looks fun, but it’s clear to see that only the
strong personalities and characters go far”.

Her proudest achievement is making it
into the Big Brother house, because she has always known it would be the
biggest step she would make toward reaching her goals and realising her
dreams.

Cleo describes herself as “friendly,
loud, caring, blatant and loyal”, citing her favourite qualities as her
patience, tact, obedience, domestication, humility and respect. She
dislikes backstabbers, liars, immaturity and disrespectfulness and
promises viewers “a lot of realness, a bit of comedy, a lot of singing
and rapping, a lot of ME to the fullest”.

O’Neal – Botswana

O’Neal – Botswana

ONeal is a radio personality and TV
host. He describes himself as “fun, imaginative, entertaining, shocking
and unforgettable”. ONeal values consideration in others and thinks his
best quality is his imagination. He dislikes dishonesty and declares
himself an entertainer at heart.

ONeal says his favourite place in
Botswana is his house – in particular his couch – and says that the best
thing about Africa is its people’s emotional strength. He was inspired
to enter Big Brother because of “the lack of me in that house” and a
need to increase his follower base outside his home country. ONeal has a
younger brother and says it will be a privilege to have Africa’s eyes
on him 24/7, but also acknowledges how tough it will probably be.

If he wins the grand prize, he’ll build his mom her dream house.

Maria- Namibia

Maria – Namibia

Radio presenter and model Maria is
single, has a Public Relations Diploma and is from Ondangwa. She lists
spaghetti and chicken wings as her favourite foods and 50 Shades of Grey
as her favourite book. Maria entered Big Brother in the hope of getting
exposure which will boost her broadcasting career.

She promises viewers “a lot of blonde
moments” and also says she’ll “be real”. If she wins the grand prize,
she’ll buy a new car and pay off her house – and probably give the rest
to charity.

She lists a friend that is currently
battling cancer as her role model. The achievements she’s most proud of
so far are having her own radio show and being chosen to host the
Namibian Music Awards.

Maria says her favourite personal trait
is her kind and compassionate heart and she values honesty and respect
in others. She hates gossip-mongers and promises viewers: “I am the real
deal”.

Melvin – Nigeria

Melvin – Nigeria

Melvin is a model and actor from Delta
State with a BSc in Chemistry. Melvin enjoys listening to Nicki Minaj,
Rick Ross and R Kelly.

His favourite place in Nigeria is Lagos
and he says the best things about the continent as a whole are the
culture and people. Outside of Nigeria, he enjoys spending time in South
Africa and the USA because “these are places where you can relax and
relate to people conveniently”.

His friends and family inspired him to
enter Big Brother. He has always been a fan of the show and has
previously come out tops in two other reality shows. He is hoping to use
all his experience and charm to go all the way on Big Brother. If he
wins the grand prize, he’ll invest it, but he’s also hoping to make his
country proud and use this experience as a platform to achieve other
things in his career.

Natasha – Malawi

Natasha – Malawi

Self-employed mom Natasha hails from
Lilongwe. She entered Big Brother because she looks at it as being
social, educational, entertaining and a platform for fame.

She describes herself as “fun,
adventurous, flirtatious, crazy and sweet” and says that the qualities
she likes most in herself are her patience, calmness, jokes and
tolerance. She values patience, tolerance and kindness in others too,
but despises control freaks, liars and unfaithfulness.

Her favourite musicians include Mampi,
Zahara, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Kenny Rogers and her favourite
actors are Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Eddie Murphy and Martin
Lawrence.
Her favourite part of Malawi is Livingstonia Beach and she believes the
best thing about Africa is its unity, peace and friendliness of its
cultures.

Biguesas – Angola

Biguesas – Angola

Biguesas from Luanda is single and
doesn’t have any children. He describes himself as “handsome,
intelligent, extroverted, playful and talkative”. He values sincerity in
others and says if he wins the grand prize, he’ll share some of the
money with his family, donate some, pay for university and buy a house.
He’s also excited by the prospect of fame, as he’s always wanted to be a
TV presenter.

His favourite foods are ‘pap’,
hamburgers and fries. Biguesas says the best thing about Africa is the
fauna & flora and his favourite place outside of Angola is Pretoria
in South Africa. Biguesas says he is proud to be finishing University
soon, a first for his family of 9 siblings.

Feza – Tanzania

Feza – Tanzania

Recording artist Feza is from Arusha and
has a certificate in IT. A fan of French fries and Ugali na Maziwa. She
loves Big Brother and says that people always do well after appearing
on the show, something she feels is vital for her career. She says that
if she wins the grand prize, she’ll invest some, take her son to
Disneyland and possibly buy a house.

Feza describes herself as “fun, bubbly,
loyal, kind and strong” and thinks her best trait is her humility. She
enjoys people who are honest, caring and fun, but dislikes those who are
liars. She promises viewers “a lot of dance, a bit of noise and lots of
laughs too”. She’s hoping to get exposure and growth from her time in
the house.

Her mom is her role model, whom she
cites as “the strongest, most beautiful and humble person I know. She
has an older brother and sister, and one younger brother.

Elikem – Ghana

Elikem – Ghana

Tailor and actor Elikem is single and hails from Accra. Denzel
Washington and Samuel L Jackson are his favourite actors – the former
because he’s bold, confident and a natural and the latter because “he
has made the black man proud”.
Elikem entered Big Brother for three things: the money, the exposure
and the game play. He says it’s great that Africa will be watching him
24/7 because he’ll get a chance to show the continent who he is and what
he can do and promote himself as a tailor and actor.
He has grand plans for the big prize. He says he’ll host a fashion
fundraiser, open 3 retail stores in Accra – and 3 more abroad – as well
as shoot a star studded movie before putting what’s left into
investments and bonds.

Betty – Ethiopia

Betty – Ethiopia

Betty is a translator and teacher from Addis Ababa. She describes
herself as brave, confident, committed and able to make the right
decisions at the right time. She likes punctual, reasonable, and
confident people, but dislikes people with “big mouths”.
Her favourite food is pizza and favourite book is The Notebook. She
says the best thing about Africa is the people, because they have showed
the world they can do anything. Her favourite spot in Ethiopia is
Kuriftu Resort in Debrezeit, and her favourite place outside her home
country is Hollywood, because she loves film and music “and that’s where
the stars live”.
Betty entered Big Brother because she has always wanted to be a part
of it and is inspired by “every crazy thing in the show”. She says that
having Africa’s eyes glued to the show will make her feel “like a
princess”. If she wins the grand prize, she’ll open a travel agency in
Ethiopia.

Bolt – Sierra Leone

Bolt – Sierra Leone=

Freetown-born Bolt is a businessman with
a Diploma in Computer Science. He loves Africa because it’s natural,
and says his favourite place outside of Sierra Leone is the USA, because
“it is a land full of opportunities” and he has family there.

Bolt will enjoy having the continent’s
eyes on him, saying that it will make him feel like he’s ruling the
world. If he wins, he’ll invest the money, start a music label, and give
his daughter a quality education. His role model is R Kelly, because
“he is a genius in music and is best at whatever he does”. With 4
brothers – one older and three younger – he says his mom has played a
massive role in his life.

Bolt sees himself as a leader and says
he is also frank, transparent and a supporter. He enjoys people who are
open-minded, friendly and spontaneous and dislikes pretence, being
ignored, people who are full of fear, and taking advantage of people’s
weakness to destroy them.

Annabel – Kenya

Annabel – Kenya

Student and fashion designer Annabel
says she doesn’t have any children – but considers her pets to be her
babies. She enjoys reading philosophical literature. Her favourite foods
include Ethiopian, Nigerian, Oriental and Italian and she lists her
favourite TV show as Big Brother.

Annabel’s favourite place in Kenya is
Mombasa, because she loves the water and says it’s the only place she
finds peace and tranquillity. Outside of Kenya, she loves Greece or Rome
because of the way they have preserved the artefacts and culture
through the generations. “I love art and I’d kill to live there!” she
says.

Annabel says she loves attention and is
looking forward to having Africa’s eyes on her 24/7. “It makes me feel
like the princess I’ve always been,” she says. Her family is happy she’s
going to be on the show and she says they can’t wait to tell everyone
they’re related to her.

Denzel – Uganda

Denzel – Uganda

Denzel is a radio and TV show host from
Kampala. Asked to describe himself in 5 words, he says “I am very
eccentric”. He says his best quality is his optimism and he likes a
great sense of style and humour and open-mindedness in others. He
dislikes negative people and smelly feet.

He entered Big Brother for the money,
fame and adventure and ‘could care less’ that Africa will be watching
him so closely. “People are always watching me, by virtue of my job,” he
says. “In entertainment, you forfeit your right to privacy”. If he
wins, he’ll “party”.

He lists himself as his own role model,
because of what he has achieved despite what he has gone through. He is
the youngest of 4 children and says his proudest achievement is that he
makes the world’s best-tasting noodles.

Koketso – South Africa

Koketso – South Africa

Johannesburg-born Koketso is an
entrepreneur, currently studying towards a Law degree. She enjoys eating
“most African dishes, but to watch my weight I eat Thai for indulgence.

Koketso says the best thing about Africa
is its potential – “It’s like a young bright kid with endless
possibilities”. Her favourite place in South Africa is Coffee Bay and
away from home, Dakar, citing it as the only place outside of South
Africa she has felt at home.

Koketso entered Big Brother because of
her “new-found fearlessness”. “I am now not afraid to take risks and
live my life for me,” she says. “I wanted to see how far I can take
this. I needed a new challenge and I wanted something to help me build a
brand I can capitalise on”.

She says she’s nervous to have the
continent’s eyes on her. If she wins the USD 300 000, she’ll start her
foundation for young girls in her township and explore investment
opportunities in other African countries.

Hakeem – Zimbabwe

Hakeem – Zimbabwe

Hakeem is a model from Harare. He
entered Big Brother because he is a huge fan of the show and passionate
about the experience. “I like the idea of taking simple and
exceptionally talented people like me and thrusting them into stardom,”
he says. “Also, I’m a model and aspiring actor seeking bigger
opportunities”.

He says the best thing about Africa is
the people, the culture, resources and history, which is “so rich,
authentic and intriguing”. His favourite place in the world outside of
his home country is Jamaica, because of the food, drink and climate –
“and the parties are out of this world”.

Hakeem’s role model is Tyson Beckford
because he was the first black male model to become a supermodel. “He
was picked from the streets, yet so humble, ambitious and composed,”
says Hakeem. If Hakeem wins Big Brother, he’ll invest in property, pay
tithes, go to college, take care of his son and own the biggest model
agency in Africa to help open doors for others.